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Home Recipes Ingredients Seafood
GF Gluten Free DF Dairy Free 30 30 Minutes or Less

Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus

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By: DanielleLeave a Comment Posted: 04/18/2024

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

pin image for Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus.
pin image for Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus.
pin image for Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus.

This Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus is a flavor-packed, budget-friendly dinner served with rice and made in 30 minutes. Loaded with ginger and lime, it’s a delicious weeknight meal for two with no leftovers to deal with!

ginger soy tilapia with broiled asparagus on a grey plate with lime.
pin image for Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus.
pin image for Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus.
pin image for Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus.

Note from Danielle

If you know me, you know I love leftovers! I love cooking once, and eating all week. But even leftovers lovers like me *sometimes* still want to cook a fresh meal and have zero leftovers to worry about.

That’s where meal plan fillers like this delicious and easy dinner for two come into play. Let’s say you meal prepped dinners on Sunday, but it only lasted until Wednesday. Oops! When Thursday night rolls around, make this!

And you’ll be so glad you did. Everything is done in 30 minutes or less. Lime, ginger and soy sauce bring ALL the flavor. Plus, the fish and asparagus cook in the same dish! Making a hot, fresh dinner start to finish could not get any easier!

By the way – here in the post content, youโ€™ll find detailed information on the ingredients used, possible substitutions, and helpful tips for successful results based on my experience with this recipe.

For theย printable recipe card with a list of ingredients followed by concise instructions, please keep scrolling down or hit the โ€˜Jump to Recipeโ€™ button at the top of the page. Frequently asked questions are located below the recipe card.

signature.

Recipe Overview

Total Time:ย 30 minutes
Difficulty:ย Easy
Method: Stovetop & Oven
Prep: Meal Plan Filler

What are the ingredients in this Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus?

The ingredients for this dinner recipe are simple and budget-friendly. You may even have a couple of the items on hand already. Here’s a short description for each item and any special information you should know:

  • jasmine rice + cooking liquid – Depending on how you cook your rice (stovetop vs. Instant Pot for example) you will need a different amount of liquid. You can also sub with your favorite kind of rice. Brown rice would be good here too!
  • soy sauce – For marinating, our main component is soy sauce. This provides a salty base and helps penetrate the fish with lots of flavor!
  • ginger – At my grocery store, you can buy whatever size knob of ginger you need. For this recipe, grab one that’s around the size of your thumb. I used a microplane zester (affiliate link!) to grate the ginger.
  • lime – Acid, brightness, flavor, do not skip! The juice and zest from one lime makes all the difference in this recipe.
  • tilapia fillets – My local grocery store sells previously frozen tilapia for a very reasonable price. I got these two fillets of tilapia for less than $6. You could also ask your local fishmonger for fresh tilapia fillets.
  • asparagus – Look for the thinnest spears you can find. This ensures they’ll be done cooking at the same time as the fish.
  • toasted sesame oil – For a final touch of flavor, a drizzle of toasted sesame oil gives a lovely toasty nutty savory note!
ingredients required to make baked tilapia and asparagus before starting the recipe.

Equipment youโ€™ll need to make this dinner recipe for two:

For this recipe, the only real requirement is a shallow dish that’s oven and broiler safe. There are also a couple of tools that can help make this recipe go a little smoother too. Here are my recommendations:

  • shallow baking dish – A Pyrex 9×13 Glass Baking Dish (affiliate link!) is always a good idea if you’re looking to purchase a large shallow baking dish. Great for any kind of casseroles, brownies, etc
  • zester or fine grater – I think the most multipurpose thing you can buy that does both fine grating as well as zesting is a Microplane Zester (affiliate link!). It is pictured here in this post!
  • tongs – My preferred tongs are these OXO 9-Inch Silicone Head Tongs (affiliate link!) which I use for basically everything. I love that they don’t scratch any of my delicate or nonstick cooking surfaces!
  • liquid measuring cup – Everyone needs at least one go-to glass liquid measuring cup: I love this Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup Set (affiliate link!). You can use this in the microwave, oven, on a warming burner, and it’s safe in the dishwasher.

How do you make this Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus?

Don’t blink, because if you do, you might miss the instructions for this super simple dinner recipe! Okay all jokes aside, the instructions are simple and easy to follow. Start with the rice, marinate the fish, add the asparagus, and broil. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Since rice takes the longest to cook out of the three components, get that started first. Use your preferred method to make the rice, whether that is one the stovetop following package directions, or in another way like Instant Pot or Rice Cooker.

My preference is to use the Instant Pot and cook the rice in chicken broth, since it’s a very hands off method. It leaves stovetop space available, and I don’t have to think about it.

Next, find an oven-safe shallow baking dish big enough to hold the tilapia and asparagus, for example a 9×13 casserole dish will work well. Whisk up the marinade ingredients directly in the baking dish. This includes the soy sauce, grated ginger, lime juice and half the lime zest.

whisking ginger and lime with soy sauce in a shallow baking dish.
Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus marinating in a baking dish before broiling.

Turn the tilapia fillets over in the marinade in order to coat both sides. Set the dish aside to marinate for 10 minutes. If the fish has skin on it, leave it to marinate skin side up so the fish stays in contact with most of the marinade.

While the fish marinating for only *10 minutes*, wash and prep the asparagus. Make sure it’s dry or it will add water to the baking dish, which we don’t want! Snap the woody ends off of the asparagus after they’re washed.

Add the spears to the baking dish with the fish. Use tongs to turn the spears over in the marinade, so they’re completely coated. Drizzle the toasted sesame oil over both the tilapia and the asparagus.

Broil the fish and asparagus uncovered for approximately 10 minutes on high until the asparagus is just tender and slightly charring on the ends, and the fish is just cooked through.

Serve the fish and asparagus alongside the rice, and spoon excess marinade from the dish over each tilapia fillet. Sprinkle the leftover lime zest on top and garnish with toasted sesame seeds or furikake if you prefer.

fresh from the oven ginger soy tilapia with broiled asparagus in a shallow white baking dish.
broiled asparagus in a baking dish with limes.
broiled fillets of tilapia in a soy lime ginger marinade.

Best tips for making Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

Here are my best tips for making this tilapia dinner successfully in your own kitchen:

  • If possible, get two fillets of similar size so they take the same amount of time to cook.
  • In the same way, try to look for asparagus spears of all the same thinness, which helps them cook evenly as well. Be sure to place them in a single layer when broiling.
  • To test the fish for doneness, use a fork to flake the thickest part. If it flakes easily, the fish is done!

Ways to customize Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

Here are a couple of ways to customize or change this recipe to make it your own:

  • change the flavor profile – Use this recipe as a cooking time template and make the fish and asparagus any flavors you like, for example, lemon pepper.
  • swap the veggie – You could always skip the asparagus and cook another veggie in the air fryer or stovetop if you’d like.
  • use a different fish – Another white fish like halibut or cod would also work in this recipe, if those are available to you.

More fish recipes…

Freezer-Friendly Homemade Fish Sticks

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Salmon

Easy Smoked Salmon Rice Bowls

All seafood recipes
baked tilapia on a plate with rice and asparagus.
flaky Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus on a plate with gold fork.

How to store Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days.

How to freeze Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

This recipe was designed to serve two and make little to no leftovers, so you shouldn’t have any leftovers to freeze. However, cooked tilapia and rice are both freezer-friendly and could be frozen if needed. Store in a labeled and sealed container with as much air removed as possible. For best quality, enjoy within 2 months.

How to reheat Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

Reheat carefully in the microwave on Medium heat with 30 second blasts, or in place in a cold oven for 15 minutes and turn it to 350F, letting the fish heat with the oven.

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Recipe
fresh from the oven ginger soy tilapia with broiled asparagus in a shallow white baking dish.
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Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus

Yield: 2 servings 1x
Print Save Rate it
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 30 minutes

This Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus is a flavor-packed, budget-friendly dinner served with rice and made in 30 minutes. Loaded with ginger and lime, it’s a delicious weeknight meal for two with no leftovers to deal with!

Units:
Scale:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dry jasmine rice + cooking liquid
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
  • finely grated zest of 1 small lime, plus 1/2 tablespoon of juice
  • 2 tilapia fillets
  • 8–10 thin asparagus spears
  • 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

  1. Cook the rice: Cook the riceย (1/2 cup dry)ย as per the packet instructions and then move on to the tilapia. Pre-heat the broiler to cook on high if your broiler does not instantly heat.
  2. Marinate the fish: In an oven-safe shallow dish big enough to fit the tilapia and the asparagus, whisk together the soy sauce (3 tablespoons), ginger (1 1/2 tablespoons grated), lime juice (1/2 tablespoon) and half the lime zest. Turn the tilapia filletsย (2)ย over in the marinade and set aside for 10 minutes. If the fish has skin on it, leave it to marinate skin side up.
  3. Add the asparagus: Snap the woody ends off of the asparagusย (8-10 spears) and turn the spears over in the marinade next to the fish. Drizzle the toasted sesame oilย (1/2 tablespoon) over both the tilapia and the asparagus.
  4. Broil: Broil uncovered for approximately 10 minutes on high until the asparagus is bright green, just tender and slightly charred, and the fish is just cooked through. Keep an eye on the fish the first time you make this, as the cooking time will vary depending on the strength of your broiler.
  5. Serve: Serve the fish and asparagus alongside the rice with any excess marinade from the baking dish spooned over each tilapia fillet, plus the lime zest. Top with toasted sesame seeds or furikake as well if you prefer.

Equipment

black microplane zester.

Microplane Zester

Buy Now โ†’

Pyrex 9×13 Glass Baking Dish

Buy Now โ†’

(affiliate link!)

Notes

Fish: Any fillet of white fish about the same thickness as tilapia will work well in this recipe.

Skin: We prefer skinned fillets for this recipe, as the fish does not cook long enough to get a crispy skin, but you can always peel it off just before serving if your tilapia comes with the skin on.

Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
  • Calories: 406
  • Fat: 7g
  • Carbohydrates: 43g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 47g
© Author: Danielle
Cuisine: American Method: Baked
fresh from the oven ginger soy tilapia with broiled asparagus in a shallow white baking dish.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this recipe freezer-friendly?

Yes, cooked tilapia and rice are both freezer-friendly. Store in a labeled and sealed container with as much air removed as possible. For best quality, enjoy within 2 months.

Can I use another white fish instead of tilapia?

Yes, any fillet of white fish about the same thickness as tilapia will for this recipe.

Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.

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About Danielle

Hi, Iโ€™m Danielle! I'm a PNW gal on a mission to help you reduce food waste, and save both time and money with meal planning and make-ahead recipe ideas! I've got weekly meal plan templates and recipes waiting for you!

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